Fortune Across the World

Chapter 1: Unpredictable Acts of Kindness

In the robotics lab, the bright light above the workbench illuminated the focused face of a young woman.

"All done! Give it a try, it should work now!" Ding Qiyu said, setting down her soldering iron. She exhaled deeply and turned to give her younger lab mate, Liu Qi, a warm smile. Her voice was deeper than most women's but had a soothing and magnetic quality.

"Is it really ready?" Liu Qi asked, hesitant but hopeful, as she connected the power and flipped the switch.

The hum of the motor started suddenly, and the indicator lights on the control board began to flash as the small four-legged robot on the workbench came to life.

"Wow! You're amazing, Sister Qiyu! Brother Qian couldn't fix it after hours, but you solved it in no time!" Liu Qi was instantly filled with admiration for her senior. As a first-year graduate student new to the lab, she had heard about the capable and kind senior, Ding Qiyu, and today she saw that the rumors were true. Sister Qiyu had not only agreed to help but had also patiently checked the equipment and taught her how to troubleshoot. The problem that had puzzled Liu Qi for days was solved with ease!

Tidying up the workbench, Ding Qiyu smiled back, "Haha, Qian Li is probably overwhelmed with his thesis. I just happened to have encountered this issue before."

"Don't be modest, Sister! How about dinner this weekend? You've helped me so much, and there are so few girls in our lab. Meeting you feels like meeting family!" Liu Qi was eager to build a good relationship with this talented and helpful senior.

"Let's keep in touch. I might have to attend an expo this weekend," Ding Qiyu replied hesitantly, noticing Liu Qi's disappointed look. She added, "I'll definitely let you know if I'm free."

Liu Qi agreed happily and left with her robot. Ding Qiyu checked her watch; it was past two in the afternoon. She had missed her nap after spending time fixing her squeaky bike. Feeling a bit tired, she decided to get a coffee from a nearby shop.

Stepping out of the lab building, the early spring weather was delightful. Children were flying kites on the lawn, and Yanni's music played in her headphones. Ding Qiyu couldn't help but smile, her spirits high.

Ding Qiyu is a graduate student in the mechanical engineering department of this prestigious university, now in her first year of Ph.D. studies at 24 years old. This university is one of the top in the country, with its mechanical engineering program ranked first nationwide. Her research group leads the field in the country.

Born into a regular family, her parents are high school teachers-one teaches math, the other language. Their financial savvy ensured a comfortable upbringing. Academically gifted, Ding Qiyu was never a bookworm. Her philosophy was clear: "When it's time to study, I'm 100% focused. When it's not, I won't study at all." In class, she was attentive and never procrastinated, but she embraced fun wholeheartedly. Novels, anime, games, movies, sports, and social gatherings-she welcomed anything interesting.

Her parents valued education, investing great patience and effort into her upbringing, shaping her optimistic, humble, and easygoing nature. Despite studying in the highly technical field of mechanical engineering, she didn't want to become too "metallic." Influenced by her mother, she loved classical literature and traditional culture. Music was her biggest passion-she was never without her headphones and sang beautifully, consistently ranking among the top ten singers on campus, earning admiration from her peers.

Yet, Ding Qiyu carried a long-kept secret: she was attracted to the same sex. From a young age, she felt drawn to cute girls in her class. Throughout middle and high school, and into university, she had two girlfriends, but the relationships ended before she could come out to her family. Ding Qiyu often forgot she was a girl herself when interacting with others. Whether romantic or not, she enjoyed caring for and protecting the girls around her. Her logical thinking and practical skills rivaled her male peers, earning her the reputation of a "tomboy."

Ding Qiyu has a younger sister named Ding Qiyin, whom she adores immensely. Influenced by her family, Ding Qiyu has a great love for children and is known for her exceptionally good temper. Once, she observed her roommate scolding her nephew over the phone for not understanding a topic and was puzzled by the harshness. "I love when kids ask me questions," Ding Qiyu remarked. "Even if it's a simple question, I would explain it as many times as needed without losing patience. I would reflect on how I could express myself more clearly and find different ways to help them understand." With no other children in the family, she directed all her affection toward her sister, becoming a super protective elder sister. If Yinyin wanted something, she would seriously consider how to make it happen, even if it seemed outlandish. If her sister asked about a topic she had long forgotten, Ding Qiyu would research it online first to understand it herself before explaining, as she genuinely wanted to be her sister's superhero.

As Ding Qiyu walked toward the coffee shop, planning to ask her sister about her recent exams later that evening, she suddenly heard someone calling her name: "Sister Qiyu! Sister!"

Removing her headphones, she turned to see another junior from her research group, Chen Linlin, waving at her from under a tree. Approaching, she asked, "What's up, Chen?"

Chen Linlin, holding a remote control, pointed to a large tree. "I was testing the drone, and suddenly, I lost control and it got stuck up there. Can you help me check if it's a problem with the remote? Changing the batteries didn't work."

Looking up at the drone caught in the branches, Ding Qiyu took the remote from Chen Linlin. "Let me take a look. Luckily, no one was injured. Next time, find a less crowded area for testing."

Chen Linlin nodded vigorously, "Yeah, I was really scared. I won't test here again."

Inspecting the remote, Ding Qiyu said, "The remote seems fine. It might be an issue with the drone itself. I can't tell just by looking. It might have been damaged in the fall. I'll help you get it down, and we can check it in the lab with a multimeter."

Feeling a bit guilty about troubling Ding Qiyu, Chen Linlin accepted her help, knowing she couldn't reach the drone herself. Ding Qiyu, with her tall and athletic build, easily retrieved the drone using a ladder borrowed from security. However, as soon as she grabbed the drone, a sharp pain struck her chest like a heavy blow, causing her to lose her balance. The weight of the drone didn't help, and she fell, losing consciousness...

---

Under an unknown tree, a man dressed in white robes looked anxiously at a ragged and disheveled youth lying on the ground.

"Ugh..." The youth groaned and slowly opened her eyes. The man in white quickly replaced his worried expression with a gentle smile.

Ding Qiyu felt completely out of control, enduring intense pain as she slowly regained consciousness. To her surprise, she didn't see her junior, Chen Linlin, but a stranger with a warm smile. His attire, a white robe resembling those from ancient dramas, caught her eye.

White? Ancient? Robes? These keywords flashed in her mind as she observed the man's pale face and eerie smile. Am I dead? Is this a ghost? Thoughts raced through her mind.

Noticing her agitation, the man in white became alarmed and grabbed her wrist, shouting, "Hey, stay calm! Don't get too worked up! Your soul just attached to this body, and both your soul and this body can't handle too much stress!"

"What are you talking about? Soul? Attachment?" Ding Qiyu asked, locking eyes with the man. She glanced at her sleeve in his grip, then at her own body, now clad in tattered cloth. Her hair was unexpectedly long. Shocked, she examined her hand, noting the absence of a scar from a high school pencil incident. This isn't my body! As a staunch materialist who valued science and hard work, Ding Qiyu was utterly bewildered, staring blankly at the man in white.